


Time That You Should Know

by idra



Series: 31 Days of October [3]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Carving pumpkins, Fluff, Little bit of angst, M/M, Temporarily Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-03
Updated: 2018-11-03
Packaged: 2019-08-17 05:00:34
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,055
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16509809
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/idra/pseuds/idra
Summary: Steve's really excited to carve pumpkins, Tony's never done it before, Natasha and Clint are smartasses, and Steve may have a secret that he accidentally spills all over Tony.  But Tony doesn't really mind.





	Time That You Should Know

**Author's Note:**

> Blah! Pumpkins was the prompt. It was actually fun to write, for the most part. Enjoy!

Entering the kitchen was like entering another world. Tony was baffled by the sheer number of pumpkins. There were big pumpkins and small pumpkins and all the sizes in between. “Uhm, when I said we should carve some pumpkins, I meant like one or two. Not all the pumpkins in the state of New York.” 

Steve turns from where he’s scooping out pumpkin guts and smiles. “Hi Tony. Did you know that there are this many different sizes? And kinds! We never got to have pumpkins just to carve when I was a kid. Sometimes, Mom would have them so we could make pumpkin pies, but pumpkins were expensive, so we’d usually make due with whatever we could find for things like that. But making pumpkins into jack o’lanterns? We never did that. That’d be a waste of a potential food source.” Steve’s grin widens as he holds up a handful of pumpkin and seeds. “Clint and Natasha told me we could clean the seeds and roast them. And Bruce is going to show me how to make pumpkin curry.”

Tony tries to frown, but he can’t argue with the smile on Steve’s face. “Have you tried pumpkin spice coffee?” 

“Is that made with real pumpkins?” Steve asks, his eyes widening.

“No, it’s gross,” Clint says, walking in and leaning on the counter next to Steve. 

“Actually, Katniss, it is made with real pumpkin. Or at least canned pumpkin. That and milk and sugar, and a bunch of spices.” Tony glances around the kitchen again. “Are we each going to carve a pumpkin for Halloween?” 

“Uh, yeah,” Clint says, rolling his eyes. “Steve gets to pick, and he can do as many as he wants.” 

“And of course, if Thor shows up, he’ll have his pick of the pumpkins as well,” Natasha says from directly behind Tony. Tony prides himself on not jumping when she speaks. “And Bruce. What about you, Tony? Did you carve jack o’lanterns as a kid?” 

Tony schools his expression into something as neutral as possible and looks at Natasha. “Of course not. That would’ve been a waste of time.” He does jump this time when he hears a hollow thumping noise. He turns to face Steve again, one eyebrow raising. “Problem, Steve?” 

“When are you going to invent a time machine?” Steve asks, through gritted teeth, still holding on to part of the pumpkin he’d just squeezed to pieces between his hands. 

“Uhm. What? Why?” 

“So I can go back in time to when you were a child and beat the living snot out of Howard for mistreating you so badly.” Steve’s chest heaves as he talks, dropping the pumpkin remains. “I’d love to show him what I truly think of how he treated you.” 

Tony looks away, face flushed. “You were all he cared about Steve.” 

“And that’s my problem with him. He had a child, he had you to care for and care about and he was more worried about a presumed dead soldier who he wasn’t even that close with. I’ve seen the stories, I’ve heard you talk about it enough to know he thought we were best friends. We weren’t. I barely liked him half the time.” Steve crosses to Tony and grabs onto his shoulders. “He wasn’t half the man you are, and you’d do well to remember that. Now, come on. We need to carve some pumpkins. I think you should make an Iron Man pumpkin.” 

Tony allows Steve to pull him over to the pumpkins and he smiles a little when Steve sets a large pumpkin in front of him. “Here. You can make whatever you want, but I think you could make an awesome Iron Man pumpkin.” 

Tony chuckles and sits down, picking up the carving tools Steve hands him, even as Steve settles in next to him with his own set of tools. “Do you draw your design first?” Tony asks softly, glancing over at Steve, then to Natasha and Clint. “Or do you just begin cutting randomly?” 

Natasha sits down as well, pulling a pumpkin towards her. “Depends on how fancy you want the design.”

Clint continues as he peruses the pumpkins, “like if you want the standard two eyes a nose and a mouth, nah. No drawing necessary. If you want a fancier design, say Iron Man’s mask, or Cap’s shield or something, then you probably want to draw it first.” He picks up a pumpkin and carries it to the table. “First things first, though. You need to cut a hole in the bottom and pull out all the seeds and guts before you carve.” 

“I thought you cut the top,” Steve said, wrinkling his nose.

“Bottom makes it easier to put the candle in and light it. You’re less likely to burn your hand that way,” Natasha answers, already rolling her pumpkin over and stabbing into it. She carves out the bottom, smiling at Tony. “Trust me.”

Tony pulls back a little, glancing at Steve. “What do you think?” 

“I trust Natasha. Do you?” Steve raises his eyebrows.

“I do. No real reason not to, right, Natalie?” Tony asks, turning to smile at Natasha. 

Natasha frowns and looks at her pumpkin, then back to Tony. “You’re right, Tony. You don’t have reason to trust me. I’m sorry for what I did. I had my reasons, but there’s no excuse for what I did and I can only apologize now.” 

“You know you’ve never apologized before,” Tony says as he starts cutting a circle in the bottom of his pumpkin. “I know I acted like an asshole.” 

“You were dying and you didn’t want anyone to know it, so you acted like the old Tony Stark and not the real Tony Stark. I don’t blame you. I blame me for not taking the time to see the real you.”

Tony inhales sharply and nods. “Thank you for the apology. I accept it.” 

Steve frowns. “You were dying?” 

“When I was undercover with Stark Industries, as Tony’s PA. He’s better now, Steve. He’s fixed himself.” 

“With Howard’s help, sort of.” Tony shrugs. “It’s no big deal and it’s water under the bridge.” 

Steve nods and focuses back on his pumpkin. “If I haven’t said it, I’m sorry for the things I said on the helicarrier.” 

“We both said stupid shit and it was the fault of the scepter. I don’t blame you. I didn’t then, and I don’t blame you now.” Tony gestures to the pumpkins. “Let’s get carving.”

It takes them a while, but finally Natasha is turning her pumpkin to show the others. It’s the Black Widow symbol that had been popularized when they’d licensed their images. “Nat, that looks amazing,” Steve says. “You did a wonderful job.”

She gives him a soft smile. “Thank you, Steve. That means a lot coming from you.” 

Clint turns his pumpkin, leering. “What about mine?” 

Steve wrinkles his nose as he looks over the pumpkin. “Why...” He shakes his head. 

“Why did you make your pumpkin look like an ass?” Natasha asks, reaching over to smack Clint. 

“It’s Tony!” he says, chuckling. “Or at least, it’s his best feature.” 

Flushing, Steve gets to his feet and grabs the pumpkin, walking over to the garbage shoot and tossing it inside. He ignores the fact that Tony is quietly laughing off to the side. “Inappropriate, Clint. Completely and totally unnecessary!” 

Clint glances at Tony, who shrugs still tickled over the commentary Clint had given. “He’s not wrong. I’m not mad, but he’s not wrong.” 

Clint sighs. “Fine. I’ll start over and draw something dumb.” 

Steve walks back, shaking his head. “No more inappropriate designs, Clint. Or else.”

“Yes, Captain, sir,” Clint says, giving a mock salute as he finds another pumpkin and gets to work.

Tony leans into Steve’s side, speaking as quietly as he can. “I’m not offended. It was funny, Steve.” 

“No, it wasn’t,” Steve replies. “It was rude and... While you have a very nice ass, it is far from your best feature.” His cheeks pink up and he stares down at his pumpkin. “Your eyes are beautiful, you’re gorgeous, and you have an incredible heart. Those are your best features.” 

Tony smiles, his own cheeks flushing in response to Steve’s honesty. “You think my eyes are beautiful?” 

“Well, yeah. They’re like the darkest brandy, such a deep chocolate brown.” Steve licks his lips. “Tony, you’re gorgeous.”

“You really think so?” 

“Yes, I do. Everything about you is amazing and gorgeous and I’m jealous of everyone you’re with.” Steve’s eyes go wide and he pushes back from the table, running out of the room. 

Tony looks over at Natasha and Clint. “Did he really just... He’s jealous of me?” 

“Of the women and men you’ve been with, yeah.” Natasha glances in the direction that Steve had gone. “You should go after him, but only if you’re interested in him the way he’s interested in you.”

Tony pushes to his feet, glancing from Natasha to Clint. “Really?” 

“Go, Stark. Go get your man.” Clint waves him off as he continues working on his pumpkin.

Tony rolls his eyes at Clint and heads for the hallway. “J, can you tell me where Steve’s gone?” 

“Certainly, sir. He has gone to the roof.” 

Tony frowns. “If he jumps, send a suit after him.” He hurries to the elevator and goes up to the roof. He’s a little surprised to find Steve sitting on the edge of the roof, his knees pulled up to his chest. “Steve?” 

“Oh God. Go away Tony. I didn’t mean to say any of that to you.”

“Did you mean it though?” 

“Why?” 

“I’m curious.” 

“Christ.” Steve rubs a hand over his face. “Yes, I meant it. I’ve been in love with you since... it doesn’t matter how long. I’m in love with you and I know you could never feel the same. It hasn’t affected how we work together and it won’t.” 

“Maybe...” Tony moves closer, sitting next to Steve. “How do you know I could never feel the same?” 

“Because I’ve seen the kind of people you go for. I’m not exactly that type.” 

“I like blonde, gorgeous, sexy people. People who are smart and forceful and know their own minds. Blue eyes are always a plus. Men and women who have a sense of humor, who can laugh at themselves.” Tony scoots closer, until his hip is pressed to Steve’s. “Mostly, my type is you. Before and after the serum. I’ve seen the pictures. The women back then must’ve been crazy not to want you. Aunt Peggy was right when she said after the serum you were handsome, but before the serum, you were gorgeous.” 

Steve’s head jerks up and he stares at Tony in shock. “You... You like me?” 

“I’ve been in love with you since New York. When I woke up after taking care of the missile, and you were leaning over me... Oh, how I wished you’d given me mouth to mouth.” Tony wiggles his eyebrows, pleased with himself when Steve laughs a little. “We make a good team, and I think you and I together could be amazing. If you’ll have me?” 

“If I’ll have you? It’s more like if you’ll have me, Tony.” 

“I want to have you in every way possible,” Tony says, leaning over and kissing Steve softly. “How, I believe we have some pumpkins to carve.” 

Steve flushes a little. “Yeah, we do.”

“Let’s get back to it.” Tony stands up, brushing himself off and he holds a hand out to Steve, who uses his hand to pull himself up. “I can’t wait to see what the artist among us creates.”

Steve laughs. “I want to see what you make.” 

“You will. Eventually.” Tony shrugs. “Come on, Steve. I want to carve pumpkins now. I never really got to do that when I was a kid either. It was too messy and didn’t create anything useful. That’s why Howard never wanted me to carve pumpkins as a kid. It wasn’t useful.” 

“Again, I ask, when are you going to build me a time machine?” 

Tony smiles and wraps his arm around Steve’s waist. “I appreciate the thought, but he’s not worth it.” 

“He’s not, but you are.” Steve leans down and kisses him as they head downstairs.

**Author's Note:**

> So, I have an update about my writing over at my tumblr, [beautydisappear](http://beautydisappear.tumblr.com/). I won't stop writing these as I'm actually having fun writing them, but... yeah. Go read that [here](http://beautydisappear.tumblr.com/post/179728738088/nanowrimo-anyone).


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